Display element and electical device

Abstract

A display element ( 2 ) comprises a soft material ( 23 ) enclosed in a display space (K) formed between an upper substrate (first transparent substrate) ( 5 ) and a lower substrate (second transparent substrate) ( 6 ) in an expandable and/or contractable manner and a counter electrode (second electrode) ( 22 ) and a pixel electrode (first electrode) ( 21 ) provided on the upper substrate ( 5 ) and the lower substrate ( 6 ), respectively. In response to an electric field generated between the pixel electrode ( 21 ) and the counter electrode ( 22 ), the soft material ( 23 ) is expanded and/or contracted to change each contact area between the soft material ( 23 ) and the upper substrate ( 5 ) and the lower substrates ( 6 ) to change a display color on the display surface.

1 . A display element comprising:
 a first transparent substrate provided on a display surface side;   a second transparent substrate provided on a non-display surface side of the first transparent substrate such that a predetermined display space is formed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate;   a first electrode and a second electrode provided on at least one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate;   a voltage application portion for applying a voltage to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode such that an electric field is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode;   a soft material enclosed in the display space in an expandable and/or contractable manner, wherein the soft material expands and/or contracts when an electric field is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode such that the soft material comes into contact with or moves away from at least one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate in response to the generated electric field; and   a control portion for receiving an externally input instruction signal and driving the voltage application portion based on the input instruction signal,   wherein the control portion causes the soft material to expand and/or contract to change each contact area between the soft material and the first and second transparent substrates to change a display color on the display surface.   
     
     
         2 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of pixel regions are provided on the display surface side in a matrix, and
 in each of the plurality of pixel regions, the first electrode is provided on one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate and the second electrode is provided on the other of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of pixel regions are provided on the display surface side in a matrix, and
 in each of the plurality of pixel regions, the first electrode and the second electrode are provided on one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate.   
     
     
         4 . The display element according to  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines are provided on one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate in a matrix,
 each of the plurality of pixel regions is located at each of intersections of the data lines and the scanning lines and a switching element connected to the first electrode is provided for each pixel region in the vicinity of the intersection of each data line and each scanning line, and   a data line driving circuit that outputs voltage signals to the data lines in response to instruction signals from the control portion is used as the voltage application portion.   
     
     
         5 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein the soft material is enclosed in the display space so as to be in contact with one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein when an electric field is not generated between the first electrode and the second electrode the soft material has a polygonal prism shape whose top is protruded toward at least one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein an insulating fluid unblendable with the soft material is enclosed in the display space movably in the display space. 
     
     
         8 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein a liquid crystal elastomer having positive dielectric anisotropy is used as the soft material. 
     
     
         9 . The display element according to  claim 1 , wherein a liquid crystal elastomer having negative dielectric anisotropy is used as the soft material. 
     
     
         10 . An electrical device comprising a display portion for displaying information containing a character and an image,
 wherein the display element according to  claim 1  is used as the display portion.